Characteristics of the web as a marketing medium

Characteristics of the Web as a marketing medium.

Digital marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium.

The internet offers a lot of advantages as a marketing medium, including the following:

Social Media: Social media posts can drive targeted traffic to your website and can also boost your websites search engine optimisation. Part of what makes social media such a great marketing medium is the way you can interact with customers, learning their wants and finding out where you need to improve. Businesses can also see what competitors are doing which will help them to remain competitive. Social media is a great chance for businesses to grow a healthy, more personal relationship with customers.

Facebook: Businesses can use Facebook to inform customers of offers, discounts and giveaways. They can also create an online persona which can cause the market to create assumptions about a business. This can work both positively or negatively for the business, dependent on what they post on Facebook.

Twitter: Twitter can be used by businesses to post notices, general posts, pictures and videos. It is probably the most personal social media to create a relationship with the market. Paddy Power are an example of a business who use twitter very well to promote their firm. Although their posts are controversial, they attract a lot of attention. Paddy Power post funny posts about athletes and although they get sued quiet often, the amount of traffic driven to their site as a result makes this money back.

Instagram: Instagram is an app which allows users to share pictures with their followers. Instagram is more so for personal use and not directed at businesses, but some firms in the clothing industry use Instagram very effectively by posting pictures of their clothes and gathering thousands or sometimes millions of followers. This gathers the markets attention and will increase their websites traffic.

YouTube: YouTube can be used to show video demonstrations on how to use products and for people to post product reviews. This is a great way for businesses to be rewarded with free advertising in return for provided a great quality good or service. It is completely free to them as it is the public making these reviews.

Rich Media: Rich media is a digital advertising term for an ad that includes advanced features like video, audio, or other elements that encourage viewers to interact and engage with the content. Rich media advertisements have a better chance of catching consumer’s attention as there is more information to be gathered compared to a display advertisement or text advertisement. Firms can use rich media in order to capture consumer’s attention, which will result in a larger market share.

Global Marketing: Global marketing is more than simply selling a product internationally. Rather, it includes the whole process of planning, producing, placing, and promoting a company’s products in a worldwide market. Large businesses often have offices in the foreign countries they market to; but with the expansion of the Internet, even small companies can reach customers throughout the world. Businesses can now use the internet to reach potential customers all over the world, broadening their market. This is a huge benefit to businesses.

24/7 Business: Businesses that run online e.g. Facebook or online clothes shops, operate 24 hours a day 365 days of the year. This allows customers to use these websites at all times increasing revenue for these businesses. The business is not just confined to opening from 9-5. This is a massive benefit to businesses as they can still make sales late at night as opposed to employing people to work in shops at these times.

Viral Marketing: This is a marketing technique whereby information about a company's goods or services is passed electronically from one Internet user to another. Nowadays with the growth of technology and the internet videos, pictures, messages etc. can be seen by millions of people in a short amount of time. This allows firms to reach a huge audience online dependent on their ability to create a good online marketing strategy. This can work positively or negatively for businesses depending on how well they market their brand.

Search Engine Optimisation: This is technology that search engines use in order to find the most appropriate pages for viewers. As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work, what people search for, the actual search terms or keywords typed into search engines and which search engines are preferred by their targeted audience. Businesses can use this programme to their advantage by using different words in the website so there will be more of a chance people will stumble across it.

Google Analytics: This is a free to use web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google launched google analytics in 2005 and it is now the most used web analytics service in the world. Businesses can see how many people are viewing their website and information about these people. This can help them find their target market.

Google AdWords: This is an online advertising service that enables advertisers to compete to display information to web users, based part on cookies and keywords predefined by the advertisers. Google AdWords is now googles largest source of revenue, earning them $43.7 billion in 2012. Businesses can use Google AdWords to advertise their business or a certain product or service they provide, broadening their market.

Interactivity/Feedback: This is two-way communication with customers connecting customers to the business. Mediums for this communication to take place are e-mails, social media, blogs, etc. Feedback from customers is very important, both positive and negative. Feedback allows businesses to identify their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to improve overall.

Push Marketing: Push Marketing is a form of advertising that sends communication to the user. Also known as direct response marketing or general advertising, it targets a specific audience with messages and offers. Examples of push marketing are e-mail, direct mail, print and broadcast. Businesses can use push marketing to catch the consumer’s attention and attract more business.

Pull Marketing: Pull Marketing is the opposite of Push Marketing. This type of marketing pulls shoppers into your website or social page. Nowadays buyers do a lot of research before purchasing products. They read reviews, ask online for advice and buy accordingly. Pull Marketing gives you an opportunity to attract the researcher wanting answers you provide. If businesses post reviews on their products and they are mostly positive, the consumer will be more likely to purchase these products.

Cost: Compared to other marketing methods, marketing online is much cheaper and some methods online are free. Social media accounts can be made for free and can be used to reach a large target market. Placing ads online is also much cheaper than hiring a marketing agency. Businesses can save money this way and then invest their money elsewhere.

Control: When using digital marketing you have full control of what you want to post and how you want to reach your target market. The business is in full control therefore this is beneficial to them.

Flexibility: You can post advertisements or messages whenever suits you. You are not confined to specific times or places to advertise. Again this is beneficial as the business can focus on other aspects of the business depending on priorities.

Speed: Posts are also instant, as soon as you click post, the message is available for your target market to see. This allows the business to reach their market instantly when most appropriate. Advances in technology have made it much easier for businesses to interact with consumers quicker than ever before.